15 new year’s resolutions from people with...
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15 New Year’s Resolutions From PeopleWith OCD
By Sarah Schuster (https://themighty.com/author/sarah-schuster/)StaffObsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (https://themighty.com/category/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/)
! 3k Follow Me
December 30, 2015
For those who live with obsessive compulsive disorder (https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/) (OCD), the
illness can be a moment stealer. Whether it’s from performing compulsions or managing
intrusive thoughts, completing tasks or staying in the moment can be difficult. But there’s hope
for people who live with OCD, and the new year is a great time to talk about just that.
The International OCD Foundation (https://iocdf.org) gathered these messages of hope — asking
its community what their resolution is for the new year. Hopefully some of these can inspire you
in your own goals.
Here’s what they’re hoping for in 2016:Here’s what they’re hoping for in 2016:
1.1. “My resolution is to keep my eye on the prize. A life free of fear and mandates. One where I can
go wherever I wish without any worries of being contaminated. A life in which I can provide my
children with socially rich experiences. I will continue to work this year, step by step, towards my
goal.” — Wendy Quiroz
(https://www.facebook.com/IOCDF/photos/a.501249452994.272566.153834917994/1015438591158
7995/?
type=3&comment_id=10154386161862995&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22
%7D)
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2.2. “This year my biggest goal is to try and not allow the rituals to paralyze me when it comes to
parenting my 2-year-old. Parks and public bathrooms are two of my huge trigger points, so this
year I want to be able to slowly start to conquer.” — Becca Gramuglia
(https://www.instagram.com/p/_UcVHiTWLb/?taken-by=iocdf) via Instagram
3.3. “My resolution is to not let my OCD hold me back from enjoying my first overseas holiday.”
— Stephanie Lyon (https://twitter.com/StephanieLyon88/status/681545961034797058) via
4.4. “My resolution is to keep taking risks and doing exposures, but also to be more forgiving of
myself when I have slips and ritualize.” — Morgan R
(https://twitter.com/MorgansVoice_/status/678256028576841730) via Twitter
(http://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/OCDR2-copy.jpg)
5.5. “Not keeping our brand new place ‘safe.’ So often when I’m at a new place, or in this case,
moving into a new home, I have the urge to do extra rituals to keep the place clean or
‘uncontaminated.’ It’s my goal to not do that this year and instead to ‘contaminate’ this
bungalow as quick as possible.” — Elizabeth McIngvale-Cegelski, IOCDF Spokesperson
6.6. “Less misunderstanding, less stigma and more awareness.” — Gang Zheng
(http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/2016-less-misunderstanding-less-stigma-
more-awareness)
7.7. “My New Year’s resolution is to accept the transient nature of life and all it encompasses, use
that as learning tool, accept it and the feelings attached, and use these experiences to help myself
and others.” — Richelle Leah
(https://www.facebook.com/IOCDF/photos/a.501249452994.272566.153834917994/101544068075
82995/?
type=3&comment_id=10154425295902995&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22
%7D)
8.8. “I want to continue speaking out about OCD and educate people about what OCD really is, and
what it’s not. Even in the mental health professional community, so many people still do not
truly understand the illness.” — Elizabeth McIngvale-Cegelski, IOCDF Spokesperson
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9.9. “OCD treatment is all encompassing. It has an impact on every facet of your life. And once
you’re functioning while managing the OCD, maintaining a certain level of mental health can be
equally time consuming. My resolution is to see the balance in life, embrace the triumphs and
mistakes without beating myself up and to be OK taking a few steps back if it means moving
forward.” –Ethan Smith, IOCDF Spokesperson
10.10. “My resolution is to help more people who have OCD! I have a lot of plans for my YouTube
channel and blog.” — Katlyn Nicole
(https://twitter.com/thekatway/status/681524805070368768) via Twitter
11.11. “Independence. What a great yet sometimes unreachable concept. Though — thanks to my
treatment — I’ve been able to get back in charge of many everyday tasks, I still need help from
my entourage to perform basic things. I dream of being independent. I dream of not having to see
the tiredness in my family’s faces each and every time I say, ‘I can’t do it on my own.’ For this
new year, I want more ‘I-can-do-its’ and less of this perpetuated childhood I was dragged into
by my OCD.” — Ro Vitale, IOCDF Spokesperson
(http://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/quotescover-JPG-9-copy.jpg)
12.12. “My second resolution is to continue pushing myself towards wellbeing and happiness. I have
many things to be thankful for. My wish is to keep taking risks in order to experience the beauty
of this world. I know that I need to self-administer a daily dose of courage to be present and
ready to share my creative advocacy with the public. This year, I would like to multiply that
dose.” — Ro Vitale, IOCDF Spokesperson
13.13. “My resolution is to finally drive. I won’t let my Pure O (http://ocdla.com/obsessionalocd) and
my violent intrusive thoughts dictate my life anymore.” — Josey Eloy Franco
(https://www.facebook.com/IOCDF/photos/a.501249452994.272566.153834917994/101544068075
82995/?
type=3&comment_id=10154421435592995&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%
7D)
14.14. “To not take my thoughts too seriously.” — Collin Schuster
15.15. “My resolution for the new year is to live it moment by moment! OCD loves to taunt me with
‘what if’ questions about what might have happened in the past and what could happen in the
future, and for years I allowed myself to fixate on both — at the expense of being present. Here’s
to making 2016 The Year of The Now!” — Jeff Bell, IOCDF spokesperson
Sarah Schuster (https://themighty.com/author/sarah-schuster/)
Follow: (https://twitter.com/saraheliztweets)
(http://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/quotescover-JPG-46-copy.jpg)
*Answers have been edited and shortened.
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All I Want for Christmas as Someone WithOCD
By Erin McKinney (https://themighty.com/author/erin-mckinney/)I write about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (https://themighty.com/category/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/)
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December 23, 2015
I gave my mom a list of gifts I want (expect) for Christmas. It’s atypically short this year. I think
that’s because what I actually want can be neither bought nor wrapped.
Here’s what I actually want for Christmas this year:
1. To no longer be called lazy.1. To no longer be called lazy.
I want you to know how hard I work every single day. My effort may not manifest itself in the
way it does for a typical 25-year-old. My effort doesn’t show up in hours worked or tasks
completed. Instead, you may see it in a trip to the store (no matter how short), an invitation to
hang out, a bus ride without biting myself or a two-way conversation.
2. To tell you what I really want to say.2. To tell you what I really want to say.
I want to tell you the truth when you ask how I’m doing, and not automatically respond with,
“Fine. How are you?”
3. To not live my life in a permanent state of “DVR.”3. To not live my life in a permanent state of “DVR.”
I feel like I’m stuck rewinding and re-watching every disruption to my routine, every non-
scripted conversation and every time I miss a moment.
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4. To not be controlled by compulsive behaviors.4. To not be controlled by compulsive behaviors.
This includes constantly checking nothing bad has happened or that I haven’t messed up, picking
my skin or cutting my nails too short.
5. To not be controlled by my obsession with fear. 5. To not be controlled by my obsession with fear.
Fear of harming myself or someone else, fear of not being careful enough, fear of causing
something terrible to happen.
6. To not live in a permanent state of 6. To not live in a permanent state of (http://themighty.com/category/mental-(http://themighty.com/category/mental-
illness/anxiety/)illness/anxiety/)anxietyanxiety (https://themighty.com/anxiety/) (https://themighty.com/anxiety/)……
which recently seems to be creating unwanted new behaviors.
7. I want my medicine to be well-managed.7. I want my medicine to be well-managed.
In an attempt to help manage some of the above.
8. I want to be confident in who I am.8. I want to be confident in who I am.
I want to be proud of myself every single day because I know I do my best.
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To the Nurse Who Understood MyInvisible Pain
By Abby Rotstein (https://themighty.com/author/abby-rotstein/)I write about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (https://themighty.com/category/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/)
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December 14, 2015
No one is at their best when suffering through a bout of food poisoning. I was certainly a mess,
wanting only to run from my body. As someone with obsessive compulsive disorder
(https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/), I usually want to run away from my brain as well. On this day, it
was a double whammy, but the nurse who took care of me made me feel at ease with one simple
phrase.
She asked me about my symptoms, but I’ll spare you the gross parts. As is customary, she also
asked if I was taking any medications. I told her about the Zoloft, and she asked what it was for.
“OCD,” I said.
With that, the interview changed. She was kind before, but now I truly felt her concern. “I“I
understand,” understand,” she said, and I believed her. I don’t know if she has OCD or knows someone who
does. I just know those were the exact right words to say.
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Not many people know what it’s like to be tormented by your brain. My outward appearance that
day – haggard, writhing, unkempt – is how I imagine my disorder would make me look if I didn’t
keep my symptoms under wraps. I have Pure O OCD (http://ocdla.com/obsessionalocd), which
means my compulsions take place inside my head. I have counting rituals, I repeat phrases and I
imagine car wrecks and other awful scenarios multiple times a day so they don’t happen in real
life. After all, things never turn out the way you imagine.
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My illness is invisible, but that nurse saw inside me; she understood the numbness I felt in my
extremities before food and I parted company was a manifestation of my anxiety. She expressed
compassion with words and a sincere look of concern, and for that I am grateful.
More than anything, I want others to understand this invisible suffering as well. I believe it’s
possible. Most of us have experienced worry, and we know what physical pain looks and feels
like. OCD hurts too; it’s like being whacked in the head with anxiety, but our bruises don’t show.
Here’s to all of us becoming more like that nurse. To her, I say: You truly live up to the ideals of
your profession.
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When I was around 8 years old, as I sat in my counselor’s office at elementary school, he told me
I was trying to force adult files into my child-sized filing cabinet.
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While it wasn’t a technical explanation or diagnosis, it gave me a greater understanding of what
was happening in my head. I could not sort through complicated concepts without obsessing over
their implications. I was fixated on nightmarish topics of harm, violence and imprudence
seemingly all the time. Why should an 8-year-old be burdened with this material? I cried, and
cried often. I was longing to make it through the day unimpeded by what was happening in the
confines of my mind, but somehow the fear always overcame me. Fear of what could happen to
me, what could happen to loved ones and what harm people are capable of. Eventually they called
it obsessive compulsive disorder (https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/). Who would have thought?
Pure obsessional OCD (http://ocdla.com/obsessionalocd) is rather obscure, marked by intrusive
imagery and mental obsessions not accompanied by the physical compulsions that shape the
common understanding of OCD. While the content matter of the thought patterns may vary from
person to person, recurring topics of harm, religious blasphemy, loss of control, impropriety,
sexuality and anything that the person finds reprehensible, dirty or “bad” are common. Like a
record on a loop, it plays on and on, anxiety growing with each rotation. The doubt is pervasive.
Doubting one’s character, intentions, goodness and worthiness. A cloud of irrational fears
mercilessly feasts on your vulnerabilities. The song just keeps playing.
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Pure O is so anxiety provoking for people like me, who are among the least likely to act on the
thoughts we experience. Externally, there are few indicators of my pure obsessional OCD; it’s
quite invisible. My mother always tells me I look like I am immersed in thought, my brow
furrowed in concern. As a society, we rely on what people reveal about their conditions, and thus
much goes undisclosed. I think people rarely talk about Pure O because it is embarrassing and
stigmatized. There is a level of shame and guilt associated with having thoughts of this kind.
Therapists call it “thought-action fusion
(http://www.ocdrecoverycenters.com/ocd/art_comptreatment.html),” or believing these fleeting
thoughts mean something bad will actually happen. Rest assured, it’s an anxiety disorder and not
a matter of impulse control. While I cannot speak for all, the way I find solace from the intrusions
with a healthy dose of distraction, physical activity, repetitive mantras and cognitive behavioral
therapy. From experience, I’ve seen the worst habit is engaging with or trying to suppress the
thoughts; suppression doesn’t readily happen. Tell yourself not to think of something and believe
me, it is sure to be the only thing on your mind.
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To Parents Raising a Child With OCD
By Mary Wilson (https://themighty.com/author/mary-wilson/)I write about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (https://themighty.com/category/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/)
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December 5, 2015
To the parents raising kids with obsessive compulsive disorder (https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/),
It’s going to be OK.
I know it might not seem like it right now, but it will be. Perhaps your child has just been
diagnosed with OCD. Or maybe your child’s been diagnosed for years, but symptoms are flaring
up again. Maybe your child’s on the seemingly infinite waiting lists for psychiatric help.
Wherever your family is in the journey of OCD, it’s going to be OK.
With help, there is hope.
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Know you didn’t cause your child’s OCD, just like parents of kids with physical illnesses didn’t
cause their kids’ illnesses. No one blames parents of kids with physical illnesses for their child’s
illness. But sadly, in our society, some see mental illness as a sign of weakness.
It’s anything but that.
Remember it’s OK to not have all the answers. No one has all the answers when it comes to OCD,
or any illness. There are plenty of books, websites (https://kids.iocdf.org/), and organizations
(https://iocdf.org/) that are here to help support you and your family. Take advantage of them.
Don’t get discouraged by setbacks. If your child has a setback, that means progress had been
made. Don’t forget to praise small successes. It may seem like a tiny thing to delay a compulsion
for five seconds, but even in five seconds, the OCD is learning your child can fight back.
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Telling OCD “no” is, in my experience, one of the hardest things to do. Imagine an anxious
feeling so terrible it feels like you have no choice but to listen to it, like it may make you pass out
from fear. Now imagine telling that awful, horrendous feeling, “No.”
That’s an amazing accomplishment.
Some days are hard. I know you already know this, but it’s worth repeating. Bad days don’t last
forever, and how your child feels at their worst moment is not how they’ll feel forever. Stress
usually makes illnesses worse, and OCD is no exception. In my experience (and the experiences of
people I know with OCD) stress can make old obsessions come back, in addition to new ones,
bringing with it the hallmark anxiety and compulsions.
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John Green Has a Theory About Why WeStigmatize Mental Illness
By Sarah Schuster (https://themighty.com/author/sarah-schuster/)StaffObsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (https://themighty.com/category/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/)
! 3k Follow Me
November 23, 2015
It seems like no topic is off-limits for author John Green, who discusses issues ranging from kids
movies (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=venw2K23C8w) to the refugee crisis
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVV6_1Sef9M) in a vlog he runs with his brother
(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGaVdbSav8xWuFWTadK6loA). But Friday in a personal
video, he opened up about a topic even he has a hard time taking about.
“I have a mental illness called obsessive compulsive disorder (https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/),
which is often associated with anxiety and depression problems,” he said in the video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_y4CACK-9g) (below). “I try to talk about it sometimes
because I don’t think there should be anything embarrassing about mental illness, but I don’t
talk about it that much because 1) it’s personal, and 2) I find it difficult to talk about my own
experiences with chronic illness.”
He then presented a theory about why people with chronic illnesses, like mental illness, are often
marginalized and stigmatized.
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“I don’t think we humans like to imagine our lives as random,” he said. “We want humanWe want human
lives to be narratives that makes sense, so if we can’t find causation, we just createlives to be narratives that makes sense, so if we can’t find causation, we just create
it.it.”
For example, he said this is why some think people with depression are lazy or assume someone
who has diabetes doesn’t eat well.
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“All of that stuff is either totally inaccurate or overly simplistic, but we want every effect to have
a cause,” he said.
Green admitted he’s been sick for the last couple of weeks because he’s been trying to figure out
new “medication regiment.” He said it’s reminded him of how crushing living with a mental
illness can be.
“I’ve learned to celebrate small successes,” he said. “I’ve learned to encourage myself without
being cruel. And most importantly I’ve learned that there is hope, and when I feel like there isn’t
hope, my brain is lying to me.”
Watch the rest of the powerful video below: Watch the rest of the powerful video below:
On Mental Illness (and the end of Pizzamas)
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